After being ripped by his teammates for reportedly retiring during Sunday’s game, cornerback Vontae Davis released a statement to officially announce his retirement from the NFL.
Davis, who reportedly took himself out of the field during Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, confirmed he is stepping away from the game after dealing with numerous injuries throughout his career, including recently.
“This isn’t how I pictured retiring from the NFL,” Davis said, via NFL Network. “But in my 10th NFL season, I have been doing what my body has been programmed to do: Get ready to play on game day. I’ve endured multiple surgeries and played through many different injuries throughout my career and, over the last few weeks, this was the latest physical challenge.”
Official statement from CB @vontaedavis. pic.twitter.com/8WXszhnrUo
— NFL (@NFL) September 16, 2018
Davis also apologized to his teammates and Buffalo’s coaching staff in the statement.
“I meant no disrespect to my teammates and coaches. But I hold myself to a standard. Mentally, I always expect myself to play at a high level,” Davis said, via NFL Network. “But physically, I know today that isn’t possible and I had an honest moment with myself. While I was on the field, I just didn’t feel right, and I told the coaches, ‘I’m not feeling myself’.”
The 30-year-old cornerback, a first-round pick in 2009, spent a majority of his NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts. He played in 121 games and finishes his career with 22 interceptions and 98 pass deflections.